Hear Ed Lee explain why he’s running for mayor

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee met with The Chronicle Editorial Board Monday to tell us what he told us a little more than three weeks ago that he wasn’t going to do: Run for mayor.

The affable mayor, wearing a neatly knotted red power tie, told us he heard lots of advice — from Sen. Dianne Feinstein, from the community and from his wife, Anita — but that the decision to run was his and his alone.

“I’ve not changed as Ed Lee. I’ve changed my mind,” he said.

“What flipped the switch?” asked Chronicle editorial writer Marshall Kilduff. “Your editorial,” responded Lee, referring to the July 17 editorial that we promoted with this headline: “Why Ed Lee should not run.”